July 27, 2010

Six words no one should ever say

"It's all on the website but...".

Have you ever said these words?
If you ever hear yourself saying them when someone - a client, a customer, a colleague - asks you for information, it's time to take a vacation.
Those words have nothing to do with providing service. They have a lot to do with other things. They make the person wrong for not finding the information already. They presume that the person would rather go away and read material on a website than talk to you. They make it clear that you, at any rate, would rather that they go away than talk to you. In fact, you're irritated that they would bother you with a question that you have already provided an answer to somewhere else. Even if it's the first time they have asked you for that information.
What are you committed to? If you are committed to helping others, to sharing your knowledge and expertise, then do that. Willingly. And be thankful that someone is interested enough to ask.